Gnaw-proof container



NMI., 939., C, SCHEIDEGGER Zm GNAW-PROOF CONTAINER Filed July 6, 1937Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES wasn PATENT OFFICE GNAw-PaooFCONTAINER Conrad lScheidegger, Rockford, Ill. Application July 6, 1937,-serial No. 151,972

1 claim. (ci. 15o-.3)

Thil" invention relates to a gnaw-proof container designed to meet theproblems presented by mice and rats on the farm, in the household, andin industry, by protecting articles and materials placed therein fromthese and other pests.

The principal object of my invention is to provide envelope typecontainers made substantially entirely of wire cloth or equivalentmaterial which by reason of the metal construction is absolutelygnaw-proof, and by reason of the perforations permits complete aerationof the contents, and which by reason of its pliability andindestructibility permits it to be folded readily in forming closingseams which may be stapled for permanence, the material in additionbeing available at such low cost that its use as a protective coveringfor things of even moderate value, such as seed corn, is entirelyreasonable and feasible.

Another important object of my invention is to provide improved closuresfor containers-of the kind mentioned, which in the case of largecontainers preferably takes the form of slide fasteners, such aszippers, whose cloth attaching tapes are secured in the mouth of thecontainer so as to be completely covered by the wire cloth and thusprotected from gnawing.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-Figure i is a front view of one of the larger gnaw-proof containersshowing one portion of the mouth thereof turned forward to reveal theslide fastener closure;

Fig. 2 is a section'on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, which so far as theconstruction is concerned corresponds also in appearance to a section onthe line 3cr- 311;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified or alternativeconstruction;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a container of a smaller type showingthe ap thereof open;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the same containerwith the flap closed,and

Fig. I is a section on the line I--T of Fig. 6.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughoutthe views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the container shown here is made of twopieces 8 and 9 of wire cloth, hardware cloth, or any other similarforaininate or perforate metallic material. The side and bottom edgesoi' these two pieces are folded together one or more times, as clearlyindicated at i@ in Fig. 3, to form closing seams Ii, I2, and

I3 lengthwise of thel opposite sides and bottom of the container. Wirestaples I4 are preferably passed through the seams at intervalstopermanently close the same. These folding and stapling operations canbe yperformedby machinery at I extremely low cost, thus makingthe'container available at as low cost as its use in most instances willnecessitate from the standpoint of commercial feasibility. The upper endof the container is, of course, left open to permit filling and emptyingthe container, and this presents a serious problem to provide agnaW-proof closure that will be easily opened and closed and yetthoroughly reliable. For this purpose `I provide the slide fastener orzipper, indicated generally by the u numeral I5, these being availableat low enough cost to be commercially practical and feasible, at least'in the larger type containers offering suflicient storage capacity. Now,as is well known, these fasteners comprise metallic interlocking alllugs I6 and I1 carried on cloth tapes I S and i9 and arranged to beinterlocked and unlocked by the action of cam means in the slide 20cooperat ing with said lugs and operable by the pull 2i It is importantfrom the standpoint of protection 2,5 against gnawing animals that thetapes it and l@ be covered by the Wire cloth, and with that object inview I fold the upper edges of the pieces 8 and 9 inwardly, as at 22 and23, and insert the tapes I3 and i9 under these folded-over edges 3G andthen fasten them in place suitably by staples 24 and 25, as clearlyappears in Fig. 2. In that way there is obviously no way for the rats ormice to get at the tapes and gnaw them so as to make an opening into thecontainer. 85

Fig. 4 shows a construction in which the front and back walls 3 and 9'of the container are integral. the container being made from one piecefolded at the middle along either the bottom or one side of thecontainer. However, such 40 aV construction obviously places limitationsupon the sizes in which the containers may be made since the wire clothis available onlyin certain standard sizes. Furthermore, it isconsidered l that the closing seams II, I2, and I3 are far from 45disadvantageous, even as compared with what is obtained with a one-piececonstruction like that illustrated in Fig. 4, because the seams actuallyreeniorce the container and the edges are much less apt to tear or wearthrough when 'seamed 50 than when unseamed as in Fig. 4. y

It is obvious from the foregoing description that the present containeris of a highly practical. convenient, and inexpensive form and willafford much needed protection against mice and 55 rats, as well as otherpests on the farm, in the household, and in industry. While it is mainlya protection against rats and mice, it is obviously also a protectionagainst various other pests and vermin. One of the most important usesfor this container is for protection of seed corn while in storage,there being approximately twenty million bushels oi' seed corn storedannually in the United States, according to figurea of the U. S.Department of Agriculture. Seed corn or anything else kept in thecontainer is not only fully protected against gnawlng,4

but is at the same time kept fully aerated, because the material of thecontainer allows free passage of air therethrough. The contents arefurthermore fully visible at all times directly through the walls oi thecontainer, so that is isn't necessary to open the container to see whator how much is in it. While the use as a container for seed corn hasbeen mentioned, there are many other uses for a container of this kindon a farm. For example, valuable grass seeds often worth $25.00 perbushel or more, and various farm seeds, feeds, and many other thingsneeding similar protection may be kept in these containers. In thehousehold there are numerous uses for such containers in keeping foods,garden and flower seeds, popcorn, and in fact anything edible. Whenthese containers are made in different sizes, they will serveas safeplaces for storing clothing, bedding, rugs, books, papers, and manyother articles. In the storage of articles subject to attack by moths, amoth-proof bag may be used inside the container. In industry, containersof this kind will be found useful in stores, basements, and warehouses,and generally in commerce, and also in rat infested trenches in wartime. The containers cost little to ship, because of their lightness andthe fact that they can be packed fiat. Obviously also, when used as aprotective covering for ar ticles in shipment, they add little to theshipping cost, because of their lightness. 'Ihe flat form of thecontainer is furthermore highly advantageous in storing the same whennot in use. The pliability of the material used in making thesecontainers renders them ideal 'for a large variety of purposes, becausethe material adapts itself readily to the nature and shape of itscontents. The smooth surface of the material also is an advantage andincreases the range of uses of these containers.

Small individual seed corn containers may be made inexpensively usingthe same sort of material, as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7. Here thefront and back walls la and 9a are in one piece similarly as shown inFig. 4, the piece being folded near the middle to close the bottom ofthe container and having its lateral edges folded together to form theseams Il' and I2' which are stapled, as at I4', similarly as in theconstruction of the container first described. This obviously gives anopen-mouthed container of a very serviceable form. 'I'he back wall 9ahas an integralv tab 26, the three edges of which are raw-cut edgespresenting tines or barbs 2l to catch in the interstces of the wirecloth. of the front wall 8a when the flap 26 is folded over as in Fig. 6to close the mouth of the container. These tines or barbs 21 are bent atright angles to the plane of the flap 26 in one4 of the foldingoperations performed by machinery. The iiap 26 being as Wide as the backwall 9a prior to the folding of the edges forming the seams il and I2',the ends 28 and 29 of the flap project from both sides of the container,as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, when the flap is folded inclosing the container. These projecting ends are then arranged to befolded over against the back of the container, as shown in full lines inFig. 6, to eliminate any danger of the flap getting unfolded andaffording access to the inside of the container. Here again the sameprecaution may be exercised to insure locking the ends of the flap inthe interstices of the wire cloth of the container by bending up theraw-cut edges on the ends 28 and 29 to provide the tines or barbs 30. Acontainer made in this way can, of course, be used over and over again,and will afford similar advantages as pointed out in connection with thedescription of the other container.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding ofthe objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claim has beendrawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications andadaptations. f

I claim:

A gnaw-proof container suitable for storage of ear corn and the likecomprising a generally rectangular body formed entirely of small gaugewire screen for flexibility and protection against rodents and the like,said container having an open mouth defined between unsecured edgeportions of said wire screen material adapted to be spread open aspermitted by the flexibility of the screen material, said edge portionsof said screen material being folded inwardly for a substantial distancefrom the top of the container to form a double thickness at the mouth ofthe container adapted to form reinforcement seams, two zipper" typefastener tapes of a substantial width received substantially their fullwidth under the said folded edge portions and adapted to be secured inplace in the closing of said seams, gnaw-proof means for closing saidseams, and interlocking zipper fastener elements on said tapesdetachably interlockable by a relatively slidable closing and openingcam, said zipper fastener device when closed being substantiallynon-accessible and safe against attack from rodents by reason of thebringing together into close relationship of the seamed edge portions ofthe container in the closing of the fastener and because of the depth atwhich the fastener is located in the mouth of the container.

CONRAD SCHEIDEGGER.

